Electric regulator.



W. A. TURBA-YNE. ELECTRIC REGULATOR. APPLICATION FILED was. 1911- RENEWED JULY 28.1916.

1,197,161. Patented Sept. 5,1916.

COMPEMMTEJ F0 IZ-MPfIA/WFE l A F/A 770/14;

l l l j l l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. TURBAYNE, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO U. S. LIGHT 8: HEAT CORPORATION, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Application filed August 8, 1911, SerialNo. 643,057. Renewed July 28, 1916. Serial No. 111,961.

of which the following is a full, clear, con-' cise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to electric regulators and to an electrical system employing said regulators.

Heretofore, in regulating a circuit for substantially constant voltage,-for example, a

lighting circuit supplied from a source of variable voltage, such as a storage battery, the voltage of which rises considerably during the charging process,it has been necessary to employ in general some means interposed between the variable source and the circuit under regulation, which means is usually under the influence of a controlling winding, which in turn is regulated by a sensitive pilot device or relay device which is very sensitive to voltage variations, and which in turn brings, into action forces which are sufiicient to do the Work of varying the resistance medium which limits the voltage, rise.

The main regulating device and the relay or pilot device have been constructed heretofore as separate and independent entities.

One of the objects of the present invention is to combine these two devices into one structure, thereby eliminating the additional pilot or relay device, while still retaining the advantageous features of both devices.

Another object is to provide a regulator which will be simple in construction, economical of manufacture, and adapted to be mounted for ready inspection and adjustment.

A further object is to provide a regulator which shall be sensitive and respond to slight variations in voltage, which shall be stable in operation, and which shall regulate within close limits.

Another object is to provide compensating means for a regulator, whereby the regulator shall always respond under predetermined conditions, regardless of variations in the resistance of the controlling winding due to variations in temperature, and re.

, gardless of variations in the flux density of the magnetic field associated with said controlling winding.

It is apparent that the invention may be embodied in various forms. For the purpose of illustration, I have shown in the accompanying drawings two embodiments which will serve to illustrate the invention, and other embodiments may, of course, be devised.

Referring to the drawings-Figure 1 illustrates a side elevation of one form of device, showing diagrammatically the circuit connections. Fig. 2 illustrates another form of device, partly in elevation and partly diagrammatic.

For the purpose of illustration, assume that the circuits shown in Figs. 1 and 2 represent portions of car-lighting systems, to which systems the forms of regulators illustrated are particularly adapted.

Referring to Fig. 1, the storage battery 1 is adapted to be charged from any suitable source, such as the usual axle-driven gener ator, not shown. The storage battery is connected across the mains 2, and supplies current to the lamps 3 also connected across the mains in parallel branches. A variable resistance 4 is interposed between the storage battery and the lamps, and may assume various forms. In the present instance it is shown as a variable pressure rheostat comprising a series of carbon plates or other ref sistance elements adapted to be pressed together for the purpose of varying the resistance of the series as a whole. The pressure applied, and hence the resistance of the variable pressure rheostat 4, is controlled by the controlling winding 5 connected across the lamp circuit between the rheostat 4 and the lamps 3. The resistance 6 is connected preferably in series with the controlling winding 5 to reduce the normal energization thereof. A shunt circuit is provided around the resistance 6, having connected therein the resilient reed 7 which is adapted to cooperate with a relatively fixed adjustable contact 8 to short-circuit the resistance 6 when the reed is attracted. During the operation of the regulator the resilient reed is adapted to vibrate rapidly, thereby opening and closing the shunt circuit around the resistance 6 at a rapid rate, whereby the mean energization of the winding 5 is regulated ment or projection 12 adapted to bear' against the block 10 to vary the pressure applied tp the series of carbon plates when the horizontal arm of the bell-crank lever is moved up and down by the core or plunger 13, which is adapted to be drawn up within the controlling winding or solenoid 5 when the same is suitably energized. The core 13 may be drawn upwardly until it abuts against the short fixed core 14:, at which point the air gap between these two members will have been eliminated. Thesole- ,noid 5 is surrounded by an iron structure for completing its magnetic circuit, and this 1r0n structure is so arranged that a substantial leakage magnetic flux will exist to cause the attraction of the resilient reed 7,

v across the lamp circuit,

which is constructed of magnetic material and which is located in close proximity to said iron portion. To obtain this leakage flux, the section of iron uniting the upper part 15 and the lower part 16 may be restricted either wholly or in part. In the drawings, non-magnetic portions 17 are in serted between said parts. The lower extremity of the reed 7 isconnected between the resistance 6 and the upper terminal of the winding 5, while the stationary contact 8 is connected to the other extremity of the,

resistance 6.

The general operation of the device is as follows: The winding 5 is connected across the lamp circuit throiigh the resistance 6, which latter is of such value as to prevent the energization of said winding to a-degree suflicient to permit it to lift its plunger and insert resistance in the lamp circuit under normal conditions. Upon the occurrence of a definite voltage rise, however, the magnetic flux available at the iron poles 15 and 16 will cause the attraction of the reed 7, thereby short-circuiting the resistance6 and greatly increasing the magnetizing efi'ect on the winding 5. This winding now attracts its plunger, lifting the horizontal arm bell-crank lever and releasing the pressure on the series of carbon plates, thereby insertmg resistance in the lamp circuit and tending to restore-normal voltage. The lower ng in voltage, or the tendency toward lowering the voltage, decreases the energization of the winding 5 sufliciently to permit the reed 7 to spring back, thereby opening of the the shortrcircuit around the resistance 6, whereby the energization of the winding 5 is greatly decreased and the variable resistance 4 is accordingly decreased also. The reed? will now be attracted again, and the cycle of operations previously described will be repeated at a rapid rate. The effect of the rapid vibration of the reed 7 will be to tend to maintain the plunger in a position to insure the insertion of the necessary amount of resistance in the lamp circuit to maintain the voltage required to attract the reed, or, in other words, normal lamp voltage. During the operation of the device, the slow upward movement of the plunger 13, the movement of which is steadied by the dash-pot 18, causes a decrease in the air gap between the upper end of said plunger and the fixed member 14. The decrease in air gap causes an increase in the flux density of the surrounding iron and an increase, therefore, in the flux which is efiective in attracting the reed 7. Unless compensated for, the reed will therefore respond to lower voltages impressed across the controlling winding as the core travels upward. To ofi'set this action, a spring 19 is provided which is connected at one end preferably to the lower portion of the resilient reed, and at the other end is adjustably secured to the upper portion of the vertical arm of the bell-crank lever 11. As the plunger 13 is lifted and the horizontal arm of the bell spring 19, where- I,

It is apparent that devices other than a spring may be employed to cooperate with some movable portion of the bell-crank lever or the parts associated therewith, whereby the resilient reed may be caused to respond to a varying attracting force with.

the plunger. in different positions. It is further apparent that adjustment of the spring or its equivalent may be such that the pressure tending to return the reed to its initial position will be correct for any position of the plunger.

Any rise in temperature aflecting' the controlling winding, whether due to the current flowing therethrough or to the heat radiated from the carbon plates of the variable pressure rheostat, will act to increase the resistance of this winding fso that-it .will gradually respond only toan increase of voltage above the desired normal,. with the result that the voltage across the regulated circuit will gradually rise. lo counte act this effect, therefore, the reed or the spring, or both, are preferably constructed so that temperature rise will affect them in such a way that the force tending to restore the reed 7 to initial position will be decreased, whereby said reed will respond to lower voltages as the temperature increases. This effect may be secured in one of a number of ways. The application of William L. Bliss, Serial No. 718,896, filed September 6, 1912, illustrates'a satisfactory meansfor effecting this tempercontrolling winding, and in addition performs the function of an additional or auxiliary voltage responsive coil of a relay device acting to regulate the vibrations of the resilient reed. Furthermore, the construction is such that the entire device forms a compact unitary structure, the iron frame of the controlling winding forming a suitable support or mounting for the resilient reed and its adjuncts, and the variable pressure rheostat being mounted in close proximity to the controlling winding for obvious reasons.

, The entire device is adapted to be mounted on a suitable panel, where it may be readily inspected and adjusted, if adjust ment should ever become necessary.

The device shown in Fig. 2 is similar in its essential features to the device previously described, and the same reference characters have been applied to the corresponding parts. In this latter device, however, an ad ditional compensating feature is provided. IVhen the reed is attracted to short-circuit the resistance, the magnetizing effect of the controlling winding is greatly increased. This increase of magnetization will also affeet the resilient reed and act to hold the same closed until the voltage will have dropped to a low value corresponding probably to some value slightly under that which caused the original attraction of the reed, which might mean a considerable reduction in the lamp voltage. To compensate for this effect, the auxiliary or compensating coil 20 is placed around the reed 7 and connected in series with said reed and in a shunt path around the resistance 6. Therefore it will be included in series with the controlling winding 5 when the resistance 6 is short-circuited, and at other times it will be open-circuited. Accordingly it will become effective on y when the winding 5 is given a greater magnetizing value, due to the short-circuiting of this resistance. The auxiliary coil 20 is of such value that it will just counteract the increased attractive effect of the controlling winding: in other words, it will prevent any increase of magnetic flux through the reed above that required to cause its initial attraction. The coil 20 may, if desired, be

slightly overwound so as to cause a slight preponderance in its action and thereby act as a high speed coil to cause a higher rate of vibration to be imparted to the reed. It is, of course, apparent that this auxiliary coil may be connected in circuit in various other ways to accomplish the desired results.

In both forms of device illustrated, the resistance 6 is in series with the controlling winding. Said resistance, however, may be connected in other ways.

It will be apparent, from the above description, that the invention is not to be limited to the devices described and illustrated, nor to the details thereof, as these devices were selected for the purpose of illustration only. I desire, therefore, to cover any suitable equivalent means for accomplishing the desired results and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An electric regulator, comprising a controlling winding, a member operated thereby, anda vibratile reed for regulating the energization of said winding, said elements forming a unitary structure.

2. An electric regulator, including a winding, a vibratile reed for regulating the energization of said winding, and mechanical means associated with said reed for compensating for variations in the flux density produced by said controlling winding, said elements forming a unitary structure.

3. An electric regulator, including a winding, a vibratile reed for regulating the energization of said winding, and compensating means, both mechanical and electrical, for neutralizing the effect of variations in flux density of said winding, heat variations, and variations due to increased energization.

4. An electric regulator, including a variable resistance, a controlling winding therefor, a second resistance associated with said winding, and means for rapidly making and breaking a shunt circuit around one of said elements, said means being controlled by said winding.

5. An electric regulator, including a regulating medium, a winding controlling said medium, a resistance in series with said winding, and means for rapidly making and breaking a shunt circuit around one of said elements, said means being controlled by said winding;

6. An electric regulator, including a variable resistance, a controlling winding therefor, a second resistance associated with said winding, and means controlled by said winding for rapidly making and breaking a shunt circuit around said second resistance to regulate the energization of said winding.

7. An electric regulator, including a variable resistance, a controlling winding therefor, a second resistance associated with said Winding, and means for rapidly making and breaking a shunt circuit around said second resistance, said means being controlled by said winding 8. An electric regulator, including a regulating medium, a winding controlling said medium, a resistance in series with said winding, means controlled by said winding for rapidly. making and breaking a shunt circuit around one of said elements, said means and said controlling winding being mounted asa unitary structure.

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9, In an electric regulator, a variable pressure rheostat, a controlling winding therefor, a resistance in series with said Winding, a rapidly vibrating short-circuiting device for controlling the efi'ective value of said resistance to regulate the energization' of said winding, and compensating means associated with said variable pressure rheost t to compensate for variations in the ,energization of said winding other than therefor, a resistance in series with said winding, means for short circuiting said resistance to regulate the energizatlon of said windlng, and a compensating 0011 connected in series with said controlling winding and adaptedto be connected around said resistance, whereby said coil is energized when said resistance is short-circuited and when the energization of said controlling winding is thereby increased.

12. A circuit to be regulated and fan electrio regulator therefor, said regulator ineluding a variable resistance, a controlling winding therefor, a resistance in series with said winding, and means for short-circuiting said resistance at a rapid rate to control the energization of said winding, said means being controlled by said winding.

13. In a system of electrical regulation, a variable resistance, a controlling winding therefor, a resistance in series with said winding, and means for sho'rt-circuiting said resistance at a rapid rate to control the energization of said winding, said means being controlled by said winding.

14:. A circuit to be regulated, a variable resistance in said circuit,a controlling winding therefor connected across said circuit, a resistance in series with said winding, means for rapidly opening and closing a shunt circuit around said resistance to control the energization of said winding, said means being controlled by said winding, and compensating means. associated with said elements for counteracting the disturbing effects due to variations in flux density of said winding, variations in temperature therein, and increase in magnetization when said resistance is short-circuited.

l5..In a regulator, a solenoid havinga magnetic frame constructed in the form of two pole pieces, non-magnetic material separating said pole pieces, a resilient reed mounted on one of said pieces and adapted to vibrate rapidly, and a stationary contact mounted on the other of said pieces and adapted to contact with said reed when the latter is attracted by said pole pieces.

. 16. In a regulator, a solenoid having a frame of magnetic material, a resilient reed mounted on said frame and adapted to vibrate rapidly under the influence of said solenoid, a plunger for said solenoid, a bellcrank' lever operated by said plunger, a variable pressure rheostat controlled by said bell-crank lever, and means connecting said bell-crank lever and said resilient reed to cause an increase in the attractive force required to vibrate said reed as said solenoid draws up its plunger.

17. In a system of regulation, a variable resistance, voltage responsive means for controlling said resistance and add1t1onal means under the control-of said voltage responsive means for controlling the sensitiveness of said voltage responsive means.

18. In a system of regulation, a variable resistance, electro-magnetic means for controlling said resistance and additional meansop'erated by the leakage flux of said electro-magnetic means for controlling the sensitiveness of said resistance controlling means.

19. In a regulating system, a translation circuit, a variable resistance in said circuit, means responsive to the voltage drop across said'circuit for controlling said resistance and a vibrating element under control of said controlling means for influencing the sensitiveness thereof.

- 20. In a regulator, a variable resistance, an electromagnetic winding provided with a movable core for controlling said resistance, an auxiliary memberinfluencing the energization of said winding and means acting on said auxiliary member to cause it to compensate for variations in the operation of the regulator due to decreasing reluctance as said core is operated.

21. In a regulator, a variable resistance, an electro-inagnetic winding for controlling said resistance, a resistance in series with.

said winding and means responsive to the magnetic leakage flux in said winding for short circuiting said resistance and thereby influencing the strength. of said Winding.

22. In a regulator, a variable resistance, an electro-magnetic winding for controlling said resistance, an inclosing yoke for said winding provided with portions of low permeability and means responsive to the leakage flux caused by said'portions of low permeability for varying the action of said winding.

23. Means for operating an electric regulator comprising an electro-magnetic winding, a movable member operated thereby, and a vibrating member under the influence of the magnetic leakage flux, said member connected in circuit to vary the energization of said winding.

24.. An electromagnetic winding, an armature operated thereby, a yoke provided with portions of low permeability surrounding said winding and means responsive to the leakage flux caused by said portions of low permeability connected in circuit to vary the energization of said winding.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. TURBAYNE. 

